UPDATE
As you may have guessed, this is a supremely well-armed policeman - from Punch of 1886 (below, click to read caption). What I don't know if what inspired this comical vision. Debates about policeman's use of weaponry, uniform etc were commonplace (and, the remarkable thing is, to my mind, how much this does resemble a modern policeman's miniature arsenal of gadgets) but the cartoon references The Daily Chronicle, as mentioned above ... if anyone ever comes across that letter, I'd be interested to know what it says.
